Welcome to (Insert Technology and Social Media)

I’m a Luddite. In fact, I’m such a Luddite I didn’t even know what “Luddite” meant for a long time. I’m not even sure I know now. I *believe* it is a wanton destroyer of technology, someone who doesn’t understand and doesn’t want to understand the future. Whatever it is, it isn’t good. And I’ve been called it, too many times to count, by my rocket scientist husband. I may be the beauty, but he’s definitely the brains behind this operation (and website, and my life, if I’m honest).

When I decided to give this writing thing a whirl, I knew it would be both easier and more difficult because of so-called advances in technology. Easier because of word processing programs; I can’t even fathom trying to type out a novel. What if you make a mistake? What if you change your mind?? My heroine’s romantic interest started life as Edward. It was a nice name. Good. Strong. Edward was a handsome guy, a good guy. You could just tell. Then my Baby Betas (my wonderful high school readers) started getting back to me.

He couldn’t be Edward. Edward already existed, in a buttload of books about some really sparkly vampires. Edward was iconic in the world of teen fiction, much like Mr. Darcy was in the world of classic women’s literature.

Well, shit.

The first book was already written, the second well on its way when my BBs threw out the red flags. No Edward. But in my mind he was Edward, wasn’t he? Luckily, my heroine, Birdie, had begun to call him Teddy way back at the beginning, because of a joke about a pot-bellied pig. So really, he was Teddy to me. I could let Edward go.

Thank god for the “find and replace” feature on the word processor. And thus Theo was born (luckily, “Teddy” can be a nickname for Edward and Theo :o)–so yeah, technology saved my ass.

Also, I like terms of endearment. They just rolled off my characters’ tongues. Loves, angels, and especially darlings were flying around like Wallendas in my writing. Too much? Apparently so. Again, “find and replace” was my friend. Though there are still plenty of TOEs in my work. Whatever.

And let’s not forget cellphones. You can’t write contemporary teen fiction without a basic knowledge of texting and all that. I still remember trying to send my husband a text, way back at the beginning, and having a very nice gentleman call and ask why I was sending him, “Love you back, asshole”, over and over. Yeah, that’s what I’d been doing. Because I’m classy that way.

I’m the person who still doesn’t get all the “functionality” of Facebook, okay? And now I’m in charge of all these tendrils of social media, where I’m supposed to “reach out” to my readers and potential readers via however they choose to reach out to me.

So, for what it’s worth, I’m there, swimming in it, or drowning in it, whichever metaphor works best (dying in it sounds about right).

All of my social media links are on the homepage of my website, hidden away, tiny, and probably pointless, according to rocky smart (or rocket scientist) spouse, henceforth to be known as RSS :o)–anyway, I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad, Amazon, of course, and now Pinterest, which has actually turned out to be fairly easy, and loads of fun. You should be able to “navigate” (you know, like a boat, which is the root of that word) to any of these sites through the little buttons on the top right of my website, or by going to that site and googling my name.

And I can’t believe that I live in a world where “google” has actually become a verb. Wow.